Remote Pilot Operations Lead

Job Purpose:
Lead – Remote Pilot Operations governs UAV flight doctrine, mission strategy, regulatory interface, and fleet readiness across platforms like Drishti 10 and Harop. This role leads strategic operations, manages airspace compliance, drives mission optimization, and ensures readiness through crew development and cross-functional collaboration.

JOB RESPONSIBILITY

Strategic Oversight of UAV Flight Operations:

• Define and own the operating doctrine for UAV flight operations including mission structures, crew roles, airspace classifications, and contingency architecture.
• Lead the execution of mission-critical, multi-platform UAV deployments across geographies, mission profiles (ISR, tactical loiter, comms relay), and regulatory zones.
• Ensure all operations follow standard mission execution playbooks and contribute to platform maturity through operational analytics.

Advanced Mission Planning & Optimization:

• Oversee creation and validation of all flight plans, including terrain-aware routing, fuel margin modeling, payload timing, alternate site protocols, and airspace deconfliction.
• Approve high-risk or strategic mission routes involving cross-border zones, SATCOM-based BLoS legs, or complex loiter structures.
• Leverage analytics from previous missions to optimize endurance, payload efficiency, and GCS–UAV interaction timing.

Regulatory & ATC Interface Management:

• Act as primary point of contact for civil/military ATC coordination; define communication plans, negotiate clearance windows, and enforce LoS/BLoS protocols.
• Approve flight declarations, frequency assignments, NOTAM submissions, and transponder use for active sorties.
• Liaise with MoD, DGCA, and internal regulatory teams to ensure ongoing compliance and secure future flight corridor access.

Tactical Contingency Command:

• Lead operational response during mission contingencies such as airspace breach, GPS jamming, battery anomalies, link dropouts, or emergency reroutes.
• Authorize strategic decisions such as in-flight diversion, early payload activation, alternate base rerouting, or controlled emergency descent.
• Monitor Battery Management System (BMS) alerts and Power Distribution Board (PDB) health across active sorties to preemptively manage power-related contingencies.
• Implement post-event root cause analysis processes and ensure team readiness through simulations and drills.

Multi-Payload System Leadership:

• Define payload deployment protocols and sequencing for multi-mission profiles involving dual-sensor synchronization (e.g., EO/IR + SAR, ISR + SIGINT).
• Ensure payload teams and pilots are aligned on acquisition geometry, exposure time, onboard processing, and link latency impacts.
• Authorize new payload integration testing missions and approve calibration standards for field deployment.

Fleet Management & Flight Readiness:

• Own fleet-level airworthiness and operational readiness status; ensure UAV assignment based on fatigue cycles, software compatibility, and mission match.
• Coordinate with maintenance, integration, and software leads to certify platforms for upcoming sorties or trials.
• Maintain a centralized view of telemetry health, calibration status, and pilot feedback across platforms.

Flight Crew Capability Development:

• Define pilot certification pathways, simulator hour requirements, field deployment readiness levels, and progression tracks for Engineers and Senior Engineers.
• Supervise team deployment assignments based on terrain complexity, payload configuration, and risk categories.
• Lead team reviews, performance assessments, and mission debriefs focused on decision quality, system handling, and safety compliance.

Compliance Governance & Airworthiness Control:

• Ensure all operations conform to STANAG 4671, MoD trial protocols, DGCA regulatory expectations, and internal SOPs.
• Sign off on operational documentation including mission briefs, ATC logs, flight records, payload logs, and calibration certificates.
• Represent the Remote Pilot function during internal audits, customer evaluations, and certification demonstrations.

Innovation & Flight Operations Process Improvement:

• Sponsor development of new flight control features (e.g., automated failovers, in-flight mission replanning, terrain-aware navigation).
• Lead initiatives for digitization of checklists, telemetry dashboards, and fleet-wide operational health indicators.
• Contribute to roadmap discussions with design, avionics, and autopilot teams based on tactical feedback and mission realities.

Cross-Functional & Executive-Level Engagement
:

• Collaborate with airframe, propulsion, systems integration, and payload heads to ensure end-to-end mission success.
• Participate in customer briefings, MoD test plans, and program-level decision forums to represent UAV operational capability.
• Report operational KPIs including mission success rate, downtime root causes, regulatory flags, and operator error trends to leadership.

Education background

Engineering in Mech / Electrical or related field

min 15 + years of Exp with RPA